2. The trackless dark ride

The next evolution of the dark system came at the turn of the new millenium. Pooh's Hunny Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland employs a unique trackless system, which differs from others that already existed on the market in that it uses an array of sensors to control the movement of vehicles instead of a wire embedded in the floor. It has since been used by Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland, and will also be employed by the soon-to-open Ratatouille: L'Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémyat Walt Disney Studios, Paris.

1. Audio-Animatronics

Arguably Disney's biggest contribution to theme park technology was the invention of audio-animatronics, which enable realistic "human" and other characters to bring scenes to life. The Imagineers had already made significant progress in this area by 1963, when Walt Disney decided to create an animated version of Abraham Lincoln for the 1964 World's Fair. The result wowed the crowds, and a version was subsequently installed at Disneyland. These days, almost all Disney dark rides make use of audio-animatronics, as do rides from dozens of rival theme park operators.